Mother Knows Best
by Inome
Summary: Inuyasha receives a message from his mother through a young woman named Mizuki. She tells him about his future. He is forewarned to...beware the spider. Why would his mother go through all this trouble to tell him something he already knew?
1. Mother's Message and Kagome's Gift

DISCLAIMER: I own not the Inuyasha series, nor any of its characters. I DO however own Manami, Hitomi, Yori, Mizuki, and Takumi, but you don't have to worry about any of them except Mizuki for now. Just making things clear...cuz I can.

..:Chapter 1:..

Kagome stood at the top of a hill, amongst lilacs and lavender, staring up at the starry night sky. A slight breeze blew her petite, green skirt and lengthy black hair. She tucked some of it behind her ear as the flowers lightly brushed her legs. Upon her shoulder sat a small kitsune, frowning slightly. His skirmish with Inuyasha had sent him up here, away from everyone except Kagome.

"What did Inuyasha do now?" she muttered to the demon.

"You know that candy you brought for me? As soon as you left, he stole it!" he sniffled. Kagome shook her head.

"And I told him that was specifically for you...I told everyone. Didn't he like his gift?" The kitsune furrowed his brow.

"What gift? You gave me some candy, Sango that seashell necklace, and Miroku those sutras from your grandpa. Inuyasha didn't get anything. He wasn't there." Kagome's surprised jump scared the small fox.

"Oh, I'm sorry Shippo! I forgot to give Inuyasha his gift! I'll be back!" Shippo tumbled off of her shoulder as she sprinted down the hill. He fell into the tall grass, unseen until he sat up, rubbing a fresh lump on his head.

Kagome made her way back to the cave they had decided to inhabit for the night. Inuyasha sat outside on a boulder, trying to figure out how to open a bag of Skittles. Finally, he just got frustrated and tore it open, sending a shower of colorful candies to the ground and all over his crossed legs.

"Dang it!" he yelled. Kagome sprinted past him into the cave, and rummaged around in her huge yellow backpack for her gift to Inuyasha. It was the one she has the most trouble finding, the most she had the most trouble deciding on. Did she forget it? Or was it buried in there somewhere? How could she have forgotten to give it to him?

Miroku walked in, carrying firewood. He couldn't see where he was going, and would've walked into a wall if it hadn't been for Sango, who walked in behind him.

"Miroku, stop!" she pushed him in the right direction, and he dropped the wood in a circle of rocks he and Sango had made earlier. Miroku sighed and wiped the dirt off of his hands.

"Kagome, would you do the honors of lighting the fire for us?" he looked at her.

"...Oh, what? Yeah...in a second...Aha!" She pulled out a box of dog biscuits. A large bead of sweat rolled down the side of Miroku's head.

"Do...do you intend to light a fire with that?" he said. Kagome stood up and laughed.

"No, I intend to give these to Inuyasha." With her other hand, she the fire with a lighter. She then tossed it into her pack and ran out to Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha! Come here. I have a present for you." Inuyasha's ears perked. He dropped the candy and jumped down into the grass.

"Really? What is it?" Shippo gathered his candy and scurried into the cave to eat his treat.

"Really. Okay, hold out your hand and close your eyes." She held the box behind her back so he wouldn't see it.

"Kagome, just give me the..."

"Hold out your hand and close your eyes." Inuyasha growled, but did as he was told. Kagome silently tore off the top of the box and grabbed one of the bone-shaped treats. She placed it in his hand and closed his fingers around it. He instantly opened his eyes and opened his hand. When he looked at it, his eager face changed to a disappointed one.

"What is this puny thing?" he held it between his index finger and thumb. Kagome frowned.

"It's a treat, and I have a whole box of them here." She held them up.

"A treat? Hmm..." he popped the dog treat into his mouth and chewed. A satisfied nod came from him.

"Ok. Give me another one." Kagome wagged her finger at him.

"Nope, one a day." Inuyasha grunted, and then returned to his perch on top of the boulder. Kagome sighed and walked back into the cave.

"Did you give him his gift?" Sango asked. Kagome nodded.

"Did he like it?" Kagome shrugged.

"You can never really tell. He's never appreciative of anything." Shippo said through a mouthful of bubble gum. Kagome sat down on her sleeping bag, which she had rolled out when they first arrived in the cave. She stared into the fire, and you could see the reflection of the flames dancing in her eyes.

"I don't think it went as well as she dreamed it would." Miroku whispered in Sango's ear.

'Miroku, you really stink at whispering. No, I knew he wasn't going to jump up and down in glee. I'm just tired, that's all. Really." She got under the covers, and quickly fell asleep.

_..:Outside:.._

Inuyasha licked the inside of his teeth for the remnants of the dog treat. It had oddly tasted better than he thought it would. He was craving another one. Kagome brought the best things for him...

An abnormal scent drifted into his nose. He became alert and his ears perked up immediately. He heard footsteps, but he still could not identify who-or what-was coming toward him. He stood up, hand on the hilt of his sword, and readied himself for whatever was going to happen.

A woman emerged from the woods. Her facial expression, similar to that Kikyo usually donned, Inuyasha recognized immediately.

"Kikyo?" he said, his hand dropping to his side.

"No. I am not she." She wore a dark grey kimono, and her cascading black hair caught Inuyasha's attention.

"Then who are you? And why are you here?" he sensed no threat in this woman, yet his curiosity got the better of him.

"My name is Mizuki. I've come to bring you information that you must have. You may or may not find it valuable, but you need to know what is in your future. You are Inuyasha, correct?" Inuyasha gaped at her.

"Yeah, what's it to ya?. What are you, some fake fortune teller? Do I have to pay you so you can make up some fake future for me on the spot?" Inuyasha chuckled.

"No. I am not a fake fortune teller, nor am I about to make you pay in any sort. I am going to tell you something you need to know." Inuyasha sighed.

"Ok, I'm listening." He leaned on his hand, eyes closed, only half paying attention.

"Yes. Exactly three days ago, I saw you in town. You were with companions. A monk, a demon slayer, a young fox demon, and a teenage girl with strange clothing. You were the last one I laid eyes upon. But the minute I saw you, my head throbbed with pain. I collapsed were I stood, and no one, not even myself, knew what was going on. But I suppose, while I was asleep, I was visited by a woman...in my mind. She called herself...Izayoi." Inuyasha sat up straight the moment he heard his mother's name. He jumped so that he was right in Mizuki's face.

"What do you know about my mother?" he growled. Mizuki didn't even flinch. She closed her eyes, and continued speaking.

"She said to me, 'Find my son. Find Inuyasha.' I obeyed her, as you well know. To this, I said, 'Who is Inuyasha?' She did not answer me. She continued with her statement." Inuyasha grabbed onto her kimono and lifted her in the air.

"You didn't answer me. How do you know my mother?" he growled at her once more.

"She said, 'Tell Inuyasha of this.' And she explained to me your future, and what exactly you were supposed to know." Inuyasha shook Mizuki.

"I normally don't hit human women, but if you don't tell me..."

"All I can tell you about your future is to beware the spider." Inuyasha furrowed his brow.

"The spider? Who...Naraku? I already know that! What do you mean?"

"I must go. So long, Inuyasha. I wish you the best of luck." Inuyasha dropped the woman to the ground, and without a word, she stood up and left, leaving Inuyasha completely puzzled.


	2. Welcome to Paradise

Disclaimer: I still don't own Inuyasha. Only in my dreams. And Kagome1234: That's what you have to wait for! Oh, and I edited part of the first chapter...I also changed my mind on how the story would go...it makes a tad less sense but its not so revealing this time.

The eastern sunlight shone on Inuyasha's face as he slept in the entrance of the cave. Miroku stepped out, his arms high in the air, and captured in a yawn. He cracked his knuckles as he leaned against the boulder Inuyasha had been sitting upon the previous night. He looked down at the hanyou, wondering what he was dreaming about. He looked down at his feet, wiggled his toes around for a while, then looked eastward at the hill of lavender and lilacs. Dew still covered the flowers in the early morning, but the monk couldn't tell from distance. He heard someone else stumble out of the cave, and his attention shifted to the entrance.

It was Sango. She had apparently noticed the monk had left and had come out to find him. Miroku smiled at her.

"Morning, my dear Sango. How did you sleep?" he said. Sango yawned.

"Oh, wonderfully. You?" The monk shrugged.

"Wonderfully." Sango stood next to him, and an awkward silence came between them.

"Did you...do you like Kagome's gift to you?" Sango said. Miroku licked his lips.

"Yup." Sango sighed and stepped away from the rock.

"Well, I suppose I should go wake her." She walked back into the cave, leaving Miroku the only one awake outside once more. Or so he thought.

"Hey, monk, I have a question fro you." Inuyasha stood up and stretched.

"Yes?" Inuyasha said nothing for a few moments, and leaped up onto the boulder again.

"You wanted to ask me something?" Miroku said after a few moments.

"Can the dead communicate with the living?" he said, staring at the hill.

"I...I've heard of some cases of that, yes."

"How did they do it?"

"Well, I've heard of animating the dead, like in the case of Kikyo. But I've heard that in some cases they choose a body to possess for a short time to communicate. Does that answer your question?" Inuyasha said nothing.

"What brought that up?" Miroku said, turning and looking at the hanyou.

"Can they see the future?"

"Who?"

"The dead." Miroku dug through his memory, thinking back on things he'd read and stories he'd heard.

"I believe...that because they have penetrated the linear way of life, being that their own has ended, spirits have the aptitude to see anything at anytime, at their own will." Inuyasha sighed and pursed his lips tightly. Maybe this woman was telling the truth. But why would his mother posses a woman to tell him something that he already knew? Why would his mother possess anyone? She wasn't a person to do something like that...

"Inuyasha?" Miroku stared at him. It was like he'd drifted off into his own little world.

Kagome and Sango walked out of the cave, dressed and ready to go. Shippo was on Kagome's shoulder, Kilala on Sango's. Sango held out Miroku's staff, and he took it from her.

"Ready to go, Inuyasha?" Kagome's soft voice drifted into Inuyasha's ears, and he was pulled out of this deep tornado of thoughts. He snapped back into reality, and he leapt down to the ground and allowed Kagome to mount his back.

"Alright, let's go!" Inuyasha yelled. Shippo, Sango, and Miroku waited for Kilala to transform, then climbed onto her. With a flash, the party was gone, without a trace that they had been there.

_..:Meanwhile:.._

"Lord Sesshomaru! Wait for me!" Jaken trailed far behind his master and the young girl Rin who pranced along behind him. The tranquil demon ignored his weak servant as he walked down a forest path.

"Lord Sesshomaru, shouldn't we wait for Master Jaken?" Rin asked.

"He's not worth the time." Sesshomaru continued walking. Rin's brow furrowed for a moment, but she continued prancing after a quick "Ok!" But the unlucky Jaken was quick to tire.

"How does that little brat catch up to Master Sesshomaru? And I, a demon, cannot? I don't understand it..."

"And I don't think you ever will, Jaken." Sesshomaru yelled back.

"Akk! He heard me!" Jaken shouted. He kicked up dust as he sprinted after Sesshomaru, his eyes shut. Little did he know, Sesshomaru had come to a sudden stop, and the still ill-fated Jaken ran into him. The powerful demon didn't as much as flinch.

Before Sesshomaru stood the woman called Mizuki. The two stood staring at each other. She averted the demon's gaze and stalked past him. Sesshomaru stood there for a moment, staring at where the woman's eyes had been only a moment ago, and a quizzical Rin gazing up at him. He continued walking down the path, as if nothing had happened, Rin and Jaken scampering behind him.

"Inuyasha, how much further?" Miroku yelled down to him. They'd been traveling for about 5 hours, and both Kilala and Inuyasha were tired of running. It was mid-day, and the sun shone high over their heads. Kagome had fallen asleep on Inuyasha's back. The rhythm of his feet padding on the ground had caused her to feel drowsy.

"I dunno, we haven't seen any houses or towns yet." They approached a steep hill. Kilala just flew up it, but Inuyasha jumped from place to place. At the top, they stopped and took in their surroundings.

Below them was a lush valley, complete with a decent sized waterfall emptying into a spring of fresh water. There were plenty of caves to camp in, and the aroma drifting up from the place was heavenly.

"I think we've found our place to stay for the night." Miroku said, eyes shining. Inuyasha nodded and began to sprint down the hill toward the spring.

"Kagome, wake up." Sango nudged her friend as Inuyasha stood impatiently. Kagome's eyelashes fluttered as she awoke. She climbed off of the hanyou, and he turned to her and held out his hand.

"What do you want?" Kagome said. The usual pout was on his face.

"You told me one a day." He said. Kagome's eyes widened.

"Oooooh." Kagome took her backpack off and dug around for the box of dog treats.

"Here you go." She tossed him a bone, and he caught it in his mouth. Both she and Sango giggled. Inuyasha glared at the girls.

"What?" They continued to giggle until Inuyasha could take no more and left the cave all together.

The gang had fun in this blissful valley. Kagome and Sango bathed in the spring, keeping a watchful eye for the likes of Miroku, Kilala and Shippo built themselves a waterslide out of some tree branches with the help of Inuyasha, and Miroku was able to find some berries that Kagome Okayed for eating. The remainder of the day was like a mini vacation for them.

Then came nightfall.

Oooo, spooky. I hope for more reviews, though there was no action whatsoever in this chapter. Just wait a bit longer!


	3. Heart of the Azure Dragon

Disclaimer: no, I don't own Inuyasha, like I've said...oh, some..."colorful" vocab on Inuyasha's part.

The group had built a small fire to warm themselves after the long day of fun. Inuyasha sat with his back to the entrance, Kagome next to him. Miroku and Sango mirrored them on the opposite side. Kilala and Shippo romped playfully in the corner, careful to stay away from the fire.

"Well, this has to be the most fun I've had in a while." Miroku yawned, laying his staff down gently at his side.

"Yeah. I think we really needed it." Kagome said. Inuyasha snorted.

"I think we should've kept going...the jewel shards aren't going to find themselves." Kagome narrowed her eyes and glared at the hanyou sardonically.

"You were tired, too. Admit it." Shippo said, hopping up onto Kagome's lap. The half demon snorted again, looking away from Kagome. They all sat in silence for a while, recalling the events off the day. Then, Sango suddenly spoke up.

"Well, I'm tired after today. I'm going to go to bed." She stood up and made her way further back into the cave, where the light from the fire barely reached.

"I'll join you, my lovely Sango." Miroku followed her. In the extremely faint light, you could still make out Miroku's lecherous hand on Sango's rear, and her defensive one slapping his face.

"Pervert!" Sango yelled. Kagome shook her head.

"Same old Miroku..." she muttered. Once again, they were left in silence, minus two people. The two stared into the fire, and out of the corner of her eye, she could see Kilala's tails swishing as she tried to fall asleep.

Inuyasha cracked his knuckles, interrupting the silence for a moment. Kagome looked over at him for a second, and then gently lifted the slumbering Shippo out of her lap. She stood up, walked across the cave, and placed him on top of her sleeping bag. Inuyasha watched her all the while. As she made her way back across the cave, she spoke to him.

"Inuyasha, would you like to look at the stars with me?" she said softly. Inuyasha's brow furrowed.

"Why would you want to look at the stars?" he asked.

"It's called stargazing. If you know your constellations, it can be sort of fun to look around for them. Plus, the stars are beautiful to look at, don't you think?"

"Constellations...?" his puzzled look made Kagome smile.

"Come on, I'll show you." Inuyasha stood up and followed the grinning Kagome out of the cave. Her earthy eyes shimmered in the moonlight. It was enchanting, but it brought back memories of some one he didn't want to think about at the moment...

He unconsciously stopped dead, causing Kagome to become alarmed.

"Inu...Inuyasha?" her smile faded into a look of dismay. Inuyasha shook his head in an attempt to clear the image of his former beloved.

"S-sorry. I just..." he was at a loss for words. If he told her he was thinking about... well, he didn't want to think of the sadness he'd cause her. He hated it enough when she was angry at him, let alone when she was depressed because of some stupid thing he'd done. Kagome looked at him for a moment, then turned and walked toward the waterfall as if nothing was wrong. She sat on top of a large, wide rock that was low enough to the ground for her to get on top of. Inuyasha followed her uneasily; afraid she had figured him out. She gazed up into the sky, and for a split second, all Inuyasha could see was her silhouette. She sat with her knees to her chest and her chin rested on her kneecaps. Her arms held her legs close, and she looked at peace. Another memory flooded into his mind, yet he still sat down beside her cross-legged.

"See those stars right there?" She pointed to a section in the sky to Inuyasha's left. Inuyasha's head turned and he nodded.

"That's called the Azure Dragon of the East. It only appears in Spring. The SuBoshi are the horns. Can you see them?" Inuyasha nodded.

"And there's the neck, or AmiBoshi. It's a little lower, obviously. And TomoBoshi, the dragon's shoulder." Inuyasha nodded.

"And it's chest, or SoiBoshi." He nodded.

"Did you memorize all this?" he asked.

"Actually, I had a test back in 7th grade, and I went out at night and memorized everything out of a textbook." Inuyasha mouthed the word 'Oh' and listened to her explanations.

"NakagoBoshi is next. It means..." Inuyasha stood up suddenly, silencing her.

"I smell a demon." He growled. His hand went to the hilt of his sword instinctively. Kagome stood up, and he pushed her behind him.

"You hear that, demon? You reek of blood!" his yells echoed through the valley, but other than that, all that could be heard was a cricket chirping.

"Inuyasha, are you sure...?" Inuyasha's head snapped up suddenly and he grabbed Kagome and jumped. Where they had stood seconds before was the stone, cracked severely, and huge, bulky demon.

"You're Inuyasha, right?" it said in an outrageously deep voice.

"Yeah, what's it to ya?" he spat. The demon smiled and cracked its knuckles, then charged at the hanyou, as if to head butt him. Inuyasha grabbed Kagome once more and leaped out of the way. But what was unexpected was a fireball being launched at them by yet another demon that stood on top of the hill.

"What the hell...?" he barely dodged the fiery ball of doom, but found himself getting shot at again...and again.

After gracefully dodging 3 or 4 fireballs, he landed on the ground and set Kagome down beside him.

"Inuyasha!" he turned his head and saw her pointing, then did a double take.

"Holy shit!" an army of demons stood atop the hill, glaring down at them evilly.

"Someone's really outdone themselves..." he muttered.

"No matter. I can do better! WIND SCAR!" He slashed downward and a powerful gust of wind that was said to be able to destroy a hundred demons with one stroke flew into the ranks. Another unexpected thing happened, however. His most powerful attack seemed to have little or no effect on the demons.

"Wha...?" there were demons as far as the eye could see, apparently more than he thought there were.

"There are too many off them to fight alone!" Kagome said.

"What's going on?" Apparently the noise had woken up Sango and Miroku. They now stood just outside the cave, ready for a fight.

"Why are so many demons here? There must be millions!" Sango said.

"I dunno, but my Wind Scar isn't doing much against them." Inuyasha muttered. As his last words were spoken, the demons flooded into the lush hills, turning the healthy green grass into an ugly brown.

"I don't think you guys can fight them!" Shippo appeared from within the cave, a fearful look on his innocent face.

"We've done it before, we can do it again. WIND SCAR!" Once again, Inuyasha' descending slash didn't do much. The demons descent was quick, as was there getaway. Inuyasha barely had any time to swing his sword more than twice, and he had lost Kagome in the confusion. As the demons seemed to evaporate, he realized it.

"Kagome? Kagome? KAGOME?" he searched frantically for her. Suddenly, as the demon scent dissipated, a more familiar scent filled his nostrils. He scratched the inside of his palms with his claws, his fists were clenched so tightly. The blood dripped off of his hands and into the dust.

"Naraku..." he snarled. Sure enough, upon the hill where dead grass now occupied the space, was the vile man himself. On his arm was Kagome.

"Give her back, you filthy bastard!" Inuyasha jumped at Naraku headlong. He easily dodged his fellow hanyou, and appeared behind him.

"I need to...borrow her, if you may. You see, I need her unique ability to sense the jewel shards. Don't worry...I'll be sure to return her body to you, unscathed."

"You bastard!" Inuyasha jumped at him again. Naraku cackled maliciously and faded away.

"You asshole! Bring her back! Now! I'll rip you to shreds! DAMN YOU!" Inuyasha slashed at the air with his sword for what seemed like hours on end. He couldn't believe this had happened. He'd let it happen. He promised himself, when Kikyo was thrown into the river of miasma that he would protect Kagome with his life. Even though they had found her alive, his promise would be kept. He hacked and slashed, slowly draining his energy as the stars shone brightly above him.

_NakagoBoshi-Heart of the Azure Dragon_


End file.
